On the 17th of November, two guest speakers David Peckett and John Driskell attended 148 Barnsley Squadron to talk to the cadets about their epic overland journey and trek to Everest Base Camp in 1968. Their talk covered both their group and personal stories, from their travels from Barnsley to Mount Everest by road to Kathmandu and then by foot to Everest Base Camp, which at that time was quite an unusual, logistically and personally difficult expedition. The talk also informed cadets of a changing world, with photos of a then and now nature from their travels, a recent trip back to the region in 2010 and those taken now by internet bloggers which show the development and popularity of the region.
Cadets said that they had enjoyed the talk and that ‘it was a nice change to hear about ordinary people doing epic things’. Both David and John enjoyed their evenings and were impressed by the enthusiasm cadets were showing for their trip, and enjoyed answering some engaging out-of-the-box questions posed by the cadets. Speaking to them afterwards both of them said it was ‘one of the best talks we have ever given in terms of audience enthusiasm’, and that they hoped to have inspired the next generation to achieve their goals.
By Sergeant Megan Annetts
